Shutter



y 8, 1952 R. B. BETANCOURT 2,602,502

' SHUTTER Filed June 50, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet l v I I 2 .1, e

I i 1 I i y l 5 a. I I: E G) 5 x 1 Z F 5 FY g. f

M ub en 567w) gg o urf BY y 3, 1952 R 8. B ETANCOURT 2,602,502

SHUTTER Filed June 30, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. Fi I ENE) y 8, 1952 R. B. BETANCOURT 2,602,502

SHUTTER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 50, 1949 IN VEN TOR.

r u 0 r m w 5 a 0 w 5 m u n A 'ro/P/vzy Patented July 8, 1952 IT D Y -AT'ENT" OFFICE SHUTTER. Etulieni'Barhatl Bietancourt, Habana, Gu'bal Application June-3'0, 1949, Serial-No. 10.2;420 H 3 :In GubafDecember 22, 1948 This invention relates-iii)? -impreve men ts} in means and devicesxin s uttersrfonwiindowst.

It isjcu'stomary; to-have recourse .to such. devices for protection .from window openings; I These devices are;of:twoidistinctfztypes; such as, fon,ex;- ample;. the conventional wooden orl'metal-window shutters; which. are fi a -relatively; heavy;- construction .andx whicharerprovided-vvith mean I lockingor; fasteningzthem-te window.- frames;,. this type of", window shuttenyproviding a means of protection against cold;v heat, .hail-estones-v-and protection from intrusion I of; burglars; the. latter type ofnshutter beingilightimovable orstationary, flexible or. rigid; and; composed. of. assembled preferably-metallic. narrow strips or--1ouvers-; the

latter. type being known-in; thetrade as Venetian blinds. These'window shuttersai e designed-and usedfor-protection of window 'panes from breakage:by:stonesgorhail stones and I forthe-prevention: of excessivedightfrom 3 terin n .anwin Still anotherob-ject of this inventionresides in the P-IIOViSiOIlzOf meansytoclose or-openzandz to regulateswindow shutters fromthe'inside; I I

A:.further object. of thisainvention is, to prov-ide the window; shutters devoid of any; parts composed of fabrics or any .otherwoven on twisted vegetalmaterial liableto deteriorate by- -ultrae violet rays-ofsunlight; deteriorating; atmospheric dampness; rottening, putrefaction or deterioration by insects. 1

, A yet-further object of this invention-resides in. the provisionof means. for. automatically fixing the window shutters orlouvers in adesired posi-- tion; I

A- still further object of thisinvention; resides in theprovision of means permitting to repair, changer or attain with iacility any. parts comprisingthe invention.

tained. by the. novel. design, .construction. or- ,ar-

rangement of: partsashereinafter descrihedQand illustrated in the accompanying drawingscona 46. These several advantageous. objects are .at-

representedin Fig. I, in a position, they simultaneously acquirewhen' the said-window; shutter is: being lifted; up; I

. I Fig;IIIillustrates thelower partof thewindow I shutterrepresented in isometric projection soas to; give a clear and definite :idea of the; construe;

tion which is' therobj ect of the present invention; FigeIV illustratesthe Window shutter inclosed position, providing a-.completeprotection: ofthe window opening .from accessibility of: undesirable intruders;

Fig; v illustrates-the details of;the collapsible strip-s; which are used as a. means 0f mutual attachmentoft-he elements comprising the window shutter as disclosed. in the present invention;

Eig..VIi11uSt/T?1teS '-'a' schematic view of devices permitting. vertical. movementof-Ithe window shutter ig. VIc illustratesrdiagrammatically a disposition of devicesrepresented by Fig. .VI permitting vertical movement of. the window shutter; Fig.4 V II represents. a crosssect ion of the 'window- -sliuttenframe inits-lowerpart which carries the device .for lifting and, loweringof the window shutter. and. for. the fixation. of the shutter in a desired. position;

Eig. VIII-represents a cross section taken on line A;A"I of; Fig. VI'a, illustrating the details of th'e window shutter. framewitH appropriated grooves directing the movement. of window shutter-1 boards :andallowing. room. for. passage. of the cahles-us'ed'ifor lifting anddowering? the window shutter; Q Y

I [In the drawings, the numeral l representswin- 'dow shutter boards, blades-- or louvers, made of any suitable .materiaL The length, of the boards or louvers must be. suflieient. toaccommodatethe which. are of suitable size; These strips; 2- con.- sist oftwo'partaa: lon part- I 3.;havin-g.:an;eccentrio curved end; l3a, and: a short part I21. They areprovidedattheir extremities -with small hhles d for fixing-- them to the-boards I-E byi meansof rivets: p. andv with holes b for passagejiofw small rivets r which join; themetogether and; permit a i ia1-l rotation thereof their movement w en the-shutter is being plied. The Q holes: b of these strips. Zare set; withaeslight deviation Hi: from their longitudinal centen: .This:deviationis -necessary tofacilitate the plying movement;. If these .holes wereon the same -ax-ial- 1ine-; the eflfont Theseboards I or V 'tional efiort and without any jamming.

versing pulley I0.

communicated to the strips 2 by the pul1ing cable would be transmitted directly to the axles and would increase the friction. A supplementary lateral effort applied to the joint axis of rotation would be necessary to disturb the direct action communicated by traction of cable 5 and to break the unstable equilibrium of forces acting along one direction. The deviation I5 of the joining holes from the center will permit the formation of an isosce1es triangle with its apex formed by the axis of rotation. The force of traction transmitted by cable and lower board will act in a direct line toward the axis of rotation of the common short braces I2 and long braces I3, giving rise to a small torque proportional to the deviation I5 which will be able to start the movemen of rotation for the joined braces.

As an additional means in providing the braces I3 and I2 with a capacity to maintain a proper position, a small preferably metallic knob I4 is fixed on the short brace I2 so as to arrest the eccentric extremity of the long brace I3. The braces 2, when fixed and assembled as described h'ereinabove, will permit the lifting of the window shutter boards I with ease without any addi- The window shutter boards or blades I have in the center of their extremities round axles 3 of suitable size: In the center of the axles 3 of the lower board Ia are fixed two metallic pins 4pmvided with holes to fix the lifting cable 5 thereto. The window boards are assembled into a window shutter frame in such a manner that the small axles 3 of the boards I and the pins 4 slide along appropriate longitudinal grooves 30 in the frame, as shown in Fig. VIII. The pulling effort of cable 5 lifts the lower board by the said fixed metallic pins 4. The lower louver board Ia in its upward movement plies the braces 2 by which it hereinabove, that is, the boards I are released.

The disposition of cables for lifting and lowering the window shutter is schematically illustrated in Fig. VI. The device for lifting. and lowering the shutter comprises the acting tambour or pulley 8 set on an axleSa, of a handle 9,

an idle reversing pulley I and five small rollers 'II. All these parts are set in respective grooves of the frame I. The thin steel cable is directed in such away that the portions 5a of cable 5 near the window opening W always move in the same direction (see Fig. VI), thereby assuring regular lifting 'or lowering of the blades in horizontal position (Fig. II). A detailed description of this disposition will be explained as follows: The frame of the window shutter consists of-a lower member I6, right side vertical member 11,

left side vertical member I8 and upper member I9. The lower member I6 has two recesses; one to provide room for acting tambour or drum 8 and the other to provide space for the idlere- The recess for the acting tambour 8 is lined with a metal box 22 in which the tambour 8 is rotatable. This tambour' is fixed on a metallic shaft to which passes through the thickness of the frame and'protrudes a suitable length out of the frame. To prevent-the eventual wearing away of the wood, due to friction, a small metallic plate 23 is fixed to member I6 which also acts as a support and a bearing for shaft 9a. A handle 20 is pivoted to link 9b, the latter being pivoted to shaft So as clearly seen in Fig. VII.

As a very efficient, simple and a fool-proof means for fixing the window shutter in a desired position, the following device is-used. A small metal tackle or screw 2I is set in a wooden plug 33 fixed in the wall 24. When not in use or released, the handle 20 is lowered by hand or by its own weight or straightened out by centrifugal force of rotation. The movement of the handle in its transferred position is stopped by the said The vertical members I! and I8 of the window shutter frame may be composed of two parts, that is, the body proper and the inlaids 25. When the inlaids 25 are set in their assigned places, they will form a defiite contour of the upright members with provision of appropriated grooves for cable 5 and axles or pins 3 forthe boards, as illustrated-in Fig-VIII. The upper member I9 of the frame has a cutout I9a covered by a board (not shown) to provide room for fixing the five small rollers II andtoprovide an appropriate passage for the cable 5. The

' members I1 and I8 have similar'cutouts or recesses I'Ia and III) for passage of the cable 5. The inlaid parts of the frame I are easily removed -to permit access for inspection, replace-\ ment or repair of parts.

Beside the elementary movement to open or. to shut the window opening by liftin or lowering the system of shutter boards or louvers, my device provides a very novel means of rotation of the said boards. The boards I are'fixed in the corresponding grooves 30 of the window shutter frame by means of protuberant round axles 3. The shutter boards I are mutually fixed together by the two rows of jointed preferably metalstrips 2 and cooperate together by theirpivots or axles 3 in the hollow of the vertical grooves 30. The shutter boards could be swung in one direction or in another, to an extreme substantiallyvertical position. These boards could be set in position to touch each other and have their metal strips in alinement and in extended position. One of these extreme positions is represented in. Fig. IV. This capacity of my device permits'it to form a continuous stepped surface completely closing the window opening. The window shutter boards, joining each other in the above-mentioned position and having a common thickness, would represent a very solid and rugged protection for the dwelling against burglars or intruders. I

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is apparent that an improved, simple, practical and inexpensive device for the purpose intended is provided. It is apparent however, that immaterial changes and modifications may be' made by skilled persons without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as outlined in the appended claims.

' Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is: s

1. In a shutter for windows orthe like, including a frame, boards mounted'in said frame,'said boards carrying central projections at their outer ends, guide channels on said frame receiving said projections, cable means engaging the projections of the lowest of said boards,-mechanism for raising said boards by exerting a pull upon said cable means; a linkage interconnecting all of said boards, said linkage comprising a pair of pivots flanking each of said projections and positioned adjacent the ends of the shorter sides of said boards, link means interconnecting corresponding pivots of adjacent boards, each of said link meansincluding a pair of arms each mounted on a respective one of said pivots, and a pivotal connection between said arms halfway between the boards, said pivotal connection including a pivot and means limiting the outward movement of said pivot relative to the corresponding pivots of the adjacent boards to thereby permit folding of said boards toward said guide channels while preventing folding thereof in an outward direction.

2. In a shutter, the linkage according to claim 1 wherein each of said pairs of arms includes a longer and a shorter arm, said longer arm having an arcuate projecting portion extending beyond said pivot joining the pair of arms and eccentric relative to said pivot, the last mentioned means REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 847,143 Wyss Mar. 12, 1907 1,189,967 Kennedy et a1. July 4, 1916 1,267,087 Lancaster May 21, 1918 1,360,560 Morton Nov. 30, 1920 2,415,222 Spencer Feb. 4, 1947 

